Virginia

were it not for the fact that I was out. There is not a night - not one - that I don't hear gunfire nearby. Semi-automatics seem to be de rigueur and nobody is apparently happy until they've unloaded their clip. Contrary to the oft repeated slogan, nothing matters. The public housing "neighborhoods", of which there are 3 in our 2 mile radius, are almost "No Go Zones" -especially after sunset. The surrounding streets and the zillions of convivence stores that line them are areas to be avoided unless you need a fix or to settle a score. The lawlessness that prevails is very reminiscent of the wild west. Guns rule the day and the town marshal is feckless in the face of the problem. Everybody pussyfoots around the issue. All we hear is the "thoughts and prayers crap, the obligatory outrage, and the false hope that witnesses will come forward. It's absurd.